Vulcan. "The Crippled Artist God." |
  “ He made the gods their golden shoes, And shod their steeds with brass.” STORY.
THE GOD OF FIRE. “Those who labor The sweaty forge, who edge the crooked scythe, Bend stubborn steel, and harden gleaming armor, Acknowledge Vulcan’s aid.” — Prior. Vulcan, the son of Jupiter, was born lame. He was flung from Olympus by his mother, Juno, who hated him for his deformity, and he fell into the sea, where the mother of Achilles found him. He made for her son a shield, which was a wonderfully clever piece of handiwork. Many celebrated pieces of metal work were ascribed to Vulcan. In revenge for his mother’s cruel treatment of him, he fashioned a cunningly devised throne which held her by invisible bonds against her will. The thunder bolts of Jupiter, the trident of Neptune and the girdle of Venus all came from his workshop. INTERPRETATION. The word Vulcan means the brightness of the flame. Vulcan is represented as lame and puny at birth because the flame comes from a tiny spark. He dwells in the heart of volcanoes where the intense heat keeps the metals malleable so that he can mould them at will. ART. “At Venus’ entreaty for Cupid, her son, These arrows by Vulcan are cunningly done. The first is Love, as here you may behold, His feathers, head and body are of gold, The second shaft is Hate, a foe to Love, And bitter are his torments for to prove; The third is Hope, from which our comfort springs, His feathers they are pulled from fortune’s wings; Fourth, Jealousy in basest minds doth dwell: His metal Vulcan’s Cyclops sent from Hell.” —Peake. Thorwaldsen’s favorite branch of sculpture was bas relief, in which he excelled. One of his numerous works in this department shows Vulcan forging arrows for Cupid. He is represented as an aged man hammering at his forge and indicating by his attitude the lameness with which, according to the myth, he was afflicted, but with such delicacy as in no wise to detract from the god-like dignity of his figure.
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